The \u201cpopular book fair\u201d is a \u201cmultifaceted \u2026 multimedia \u2026 marketplace\u201d that connects \u201c<\/span>St. Martin and the Caribbean through workshops, seminars and other activities,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0wrote Jared McCallister, the newspaper\u2019s \u201cCaribbean Beat\u201d columnist.<\/span><\/p>\n Before the\u00a0Daily News<\/i>\u00a0became the first news media to announce the 2016 book fair date in its January 31 edition, the island\u2019s literary fest was being \u201ctalked about\u201d in Trinidad,\u00a0<\/span>said\u00a0Jacqueline Sample, president of\u00a0House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).<\/p>\n In the\u00a0Guardian<\/i>\u00a0of Trinidad & Tobago, award-winning author Loretta Klobah \u201ccredits \u2026 literary festivals like the Bocas, Jamaica\u2019s Calabash and St. Martin\u2019s Book Fair\u201d as forming \u201can important network base\u201d for the growing literary connectivity and the continued desire for regional unity in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n The article, \u201cThe write of retreating\u201d by Simon Lee, appeared in the\u00a0Guardian<\/i>\u00a0edition of January 28 \u2013 reporting on the\u00a0North\u00a0Coast\u00a0Writing\u00a0Retreat<\/span>, which convened a power-pack of authors in Trinidad in January.<\/p>\n In its January edition, the US-based\u00a0Writer\u2019s Digest<\/i>\u00a0is actually encouraging its mega-readership to, \u201cPlan your next vacation around<\/span>\u00a0\u2026\u00a0Caribbean literary festivals, and enrich your writing life island-style.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Listed as one of its cover stories, the article by the busy Antiguan writer Joanne Hillhouse features five literary festivals: Anguilla Lit Fest, Trinidad\u2019s Bocas Lit Fest, Jamaica\u2019s Calabash Literary Festival, Dominica\u2019s Nature Island Literary Festival, and the St. Martin Book Fair.<\/p>\n \u201cRun by a cadre of energetic young volunteers,\u201d writes Hillhouse about the Friendly Island\u2019s festival, \u201cthe event facilitates real bonding and a relaxed pace, save for the busier singular book fair day, Saturday at the University of St. Martin, which has a packed schedule of sales and signings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDr. Loretta Klobah and Joanne Hillhouse are exciting writers. Each was a hit at one or two activities of previous Book Fair editions,\u201d said St. Martin Book Fair coordinator Shujah Reiph. \u201cI\u2019m very happy and thankful that both writers are sharing their St. Martin experiences near and far.\u201d<\/p>\n The St. Martin Book Fair 2016 has as its theme: \u201cThe Science of It,\u201d said Reiph. The Book Fair Committee (BFC) is \u201cplanning an exciting 14th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary literary festival for the entire family. I think the BFC is a hit with our guest authors from around the world. The committee is the same energetic cadre Joanne mentions in\u00a0Writer\u2019s Digest<\/i>,\u201d said Reiph. A photo of BFC members accompanies the\u00a0Daily News<\/i>\u00a0story.<\/p>\n Recently, \u201cThe\u00a0St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0M\u00e9diath\u00e8que Territoriale received a gift of books for their public or reference library collections from HNP and the book fair organization,\u201d said\u00a0<\/span>Sample. The multilingual sets of books included titles published by HNP and books by guest authors of St. Martin Book Fair, said Sample.<\/p>\n The island-wide book fair alternates its opening ceremony between both capitals of the island. This year the South will host the opening of the festival, said Reiph, who is also president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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